


Before The Fall

by Diamond_Dragon_Queen



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: But we never go into anything explicit, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Original Character Death(s), Pre-Calamity (Legend of Zelda), Relationship(s), smut is hinted at
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:13:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24227155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diamond_Dragon_Queen/pseuds/Diamond_Dragon_Queen
Summary: Years before the rise of the Great Calamity. Years even before the Champions that were lost to the Calamity were chosen, there were a pair of young Rito who aspired to great things. You have heard the tale of the Champion, Revali, yes? Well this is the part of the story that history never told, the part of the story that began when he was merely a hatchling. But this is not Revali's story alone. No, this is also the story about the second greatest Rito that ever lived, yet history has all but forgotten.
Relationships: Revali (Legend of Zelda)/Original Character(s), Revali (Legend of Zelda)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8





	Before The Fall

**Author's Note:**

> So, I wrote this a while ago, because I felt like there wasn't enough Revali love out there. I kinda feel like this is too long to really be considered a one-shot, but I didn't really feel like there were good spots to make chapter breaks without disrupting the whole thing. I also didn't have any great ambition to hash out BOTW into a full story with an OC. This satisfies my need to love on Revali, without sacrificing potential for additional BOTW content down the road. Enjoy!
> 
> Also, cue standard disclaimer that I don't own LOZ or any of the characters aside from my OC's.

Our story begins with a pair of young hatchlings. One, we would come to know as the great Rito Champion, Revali. The other, was a young female, her plumage was the deepest purple, almost black, with scarlet and white highlights to her wings. Her icy blue eyes were framed by a ring of white, and scarlet spots on each side of her face. Her soft hair like feathers were also the same scarlet color, though right now, they were too short to do much more than sit in a puff on the crown of her head. The pair of hatchlings tended to stick together, and had become nearly inseparable, as both of their parents had been killed. The girl ran behind the boy, calling after him as he ran toward the landing that would lead directly to the training range. "Vali, slow down. Wait for me!"

He called back over his shoulder. "Well hurry up, Ina! We're going to be late!"

She huffed back at him. "And who's fault is that, sleepyhead?"

Both took off from the landing, pumping their little wings as hard as they could to make it to the range, barely managing to make their landings. The warrior that had been placed in charge of their training, Taslo, narrowed his eye at the pair. "You're late." He snapped. They both shot up straight.

Ina started to apologize. "I'm sorry sir, it..."

"I don't want to hear excuses." He snapped again. "Simply do not allow it to happen again." He stepped closer to her after both she and Revali nodded silently. "I am going along with this...farce...because it is what the elders wished. Do not fall behind, girl, or I will put an end to it, understood?"

"Yes, sir." Ina replied, quietly. He regarded her for another long moment before snorting.

"Very well. We will start with the basics. In addition to the basics of bow handling and getting started with aim, we will be working to increase your strength and stamina. Some of that will come with age, but I expect you to work hard." He nodded to the weapons rack. "Pick a bow, then line up facing the targets."

He then proceeded to drill the pair of hatchlings through the morning into the early afternoon. They went over the basics of handling the bow, how to sight their bows, and how to avoid injuring themselves when using their bows. They practiced pulling their bows, empty, for hours. They were both exhausted by the time Taslo finally called an end to their training. He didn't praise them at all, but he also didn't say anything negative to them as he released them for the day and instructed them sternly to be on time the next morning. Both hatchlings wearily made their way back over to the village to eat and tend to their couple of chores before turning in to bed much earlier than normal in their exhaustion. Also, they wanted to make sure they went to bed early enough to not be late the next morning. They went through the same pattern every day for weeks, gradually building up their bow skills as Taslo saw fit. Ina made sure she never was very far behind Revali, and true to Taslo's word, he allowed her to continue.

Time passed quickly in this manner, and soon enough, a few years passed. Both Inala and Revali were finally grown enough to advance to the flight range. That's when things started to change, however. Ina struggled a bit initially to get the rhythm right of handling her bow in the air. She had grown on Taslo over the years, and as such, he no longer felt the need to threaten her with ending her training if she didn't keep up. As she would work that much harder to make the motion work. One day, a breaking point was reached, though it wasn't Taslo, it was Revali that lost his temper. "Honestly. Why is this so difficult for you?" He snapped at Ina, bringing her up short, her icy blue eyes widening in shock. "This is why you don't see female warriors. You just aren't as good at this as I am. Get out of my way and quit slowing me down." With that he brushed by her and launched himself into the winds of the flight range, executing the required drills effortlessly.

Taslo regarded her silently for a moment before sighing. "Ina, don't listen to him. You're doing fine. Everyone usually struggles with the adjustment to using the bow in flight. Revali is gifted, for him to have adjusted so quickly. You are on a much more normal pace." He stopped short when she turned to face him finally. The unshed tears welling in her eyes were shocking to him and pulled out a surprising protective streak in him.

"I think I will continue my training another time, when I won't get in Revali's way. Is it okay if I come to you from time to time for advice and for direction once I get this down?" At his nod, she walked past him, speaking quietly. "Thank you, sir." She put her bow away, and quickly left the range, a sob just breaking through as she took off.

He turned to scowl toward the winds of the range. He called Revali back to the landing. As soon as Revali landed, he backhanded him. His voice was as close to a growl as a Rito can manage. "Your behavior was uncalled for, and shameful." As Revali recovered, he scowled, so Taslo continued. "It is normal to struggle with the adjustment to using a bow in flight. Just because you seem to be having an easier time than normal, it does not give you the excuse to act like a Lizalfos. Especially when that behavior is directed at your partner." As Revali scoffed, Taslo's fury built. "Your training is suspended for the next week, and will continue to be suspended beyond that until you have apologized to Ina. During that time, you will be assigned to cleaning the spring pools, and whatever other menial tasks I can dig up for you." Finally, he sighed. "I am incredibly disappointed in you, Revali. You are done for today." He waited until Revali packed his gear away and went scowling back to the village. Taslo let out another sigh before deciding to try to find Ina.

Instead of heading back to the village, Ina flew south. There was a mountain that had a small pond near its peak that she had found a year or so prior. She had used it as an escape before, when things got a bit tense between her and Revali. She hadn't been able to control the sobs once they started as she left the flight range. She could barely see by the time she landed at her secret pool. She took her braids out and shook her head as she planted herself on the bank of the pool, with her back against a tree. She was there maybe an hour when she heard wings approaching. She buried her face in her knees at the sound of the approach. She heard a familiar sigh, and finally looked up to see Taslo standing in front of her. "Mind if I join you?" He asked quietly. She shrugged, not trusting her voice yet, as some tears still slid down her face. He sat next to her heavily and put a wing around her shoulders. "I know I said this before, but you shouldn't worry about your pace. You are doing fine, Ina." They sat there in silence for a while before he spoke up once more. "Revali's training has been suspended for at least the next week, due to his abhorrent behavior today. So, if you're up for it, we can do some one-on-one training, to help you get through this hump."

She stared at him, beak hanging open at his statement. Finally, she collected herself and spoke. "Thanks, Taslo."

He shrugged. "It's nothing you need to thank me for. And, after the week is over, if you still want to train on your own for a while, you know you can come to me whenever you need it. Okay?"

She nodded again, leaning into him. "You're the best, Taslo."

He blushed then a bit. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't tell anyone. I've got a reputation to protect."

She giggled, then finally stood up, stretching her wings. "I feel much better. I think I'm gonna head back to the village. You coming?" He stood, nodding, and the pair took off together.

True to Taslo's word, he trained with Ina alone the next day. Their training was only interrupted once when Revali tried to test Taslo's order that his training was suspended. He scowled when he saw Ina training and flew off in a huff. Their training was uninterrupted for the remainder of the week of his suspension. It wasn't until they were finishing up training on the last day, that Revali showed himself again. He scowled for a moment, before looking at Ina. Ina had plastered a neutral expression on her face, and she could feel Taslo tense behind her as Revali opened his beak to speak. "Ina. I apologize for my earlier behavior." His voice was tight, and he refused to make eye contact. Taslo frowned at the 'apology' that he was attempting, but he would leave it to Ina to decide how to handle it.

Ina frowned at Revali's 'apology'. It was clear that he didn't really mean it, and that he was only forcing himself to do so in order to resume his training. She put her feathers on her hips as she responded. "I don't accept that apology, since you obviously don't mean it. However, I already have an arrangement with Taslo, so I see no need to stop you from training any longer at that laughable attempt of an apology." Her tone turned snide. "But don't worry, I won't get in your way, O mighty Revali." With that she turned, replaced her bow and left the range.

Over the next several months, Ina adopted a new regimen. During the daytime, when Revali would be training, she studied with the female Rito in the village, learning to cook, sew, etc. She was terrible at them, but they had been insisting for years that she needed to learn, and they were determined to at least make her skills passable. In the late afternoon, into the early nighttime hours, she would train, alone. Occasionally, she would ask Taslo to watch her for a few minutes if she was worried about a particular motion, or if she felt she was ready for the next set of exercises. Months turned into another couple of years, and finally both Ina and Revali were fully grown. Unbeknownst to Revali, Ina had managed to stay well on par with Revali. Ina had continued to watch Revali, from afar. So, when Taslo finally declared that neither one needed his guidance anymore, Ina was surprised to see Revali start some new training at the flight range. It was weeks before she finally began to see and understand what he was trying to achieve. When Revali first managed to produce a small amount of wind around him, she squawked in surprise, then quickly had to dive for cover. She then had to wait until he left for the day before she could leave. She puzzled about it for days before she understood how he was managing to create his own wind.

Months later, Revali had almost perfected what he would call, Revali's Gale. Ina was struggling to repeat the process, but had managed to create enough updraft to lift herself. She had a way to go before she would be able to create the cyclone of wind that Revali had managed. She had been continuing her regimen of training at night, through her 'girly skills' as she called them, were finally passable enough that she had been released from the torture of training with the other female Rito.

One night, Revali was struggling to sleep. For some reason, he had been thinking about his old friend Ina, and had been wondering what she had been doing, as he had rarely seen her in the village, and even then, only in passing. After a few hours of tossing and turning, he finally gave up with a sigh, and headed to the flight range to clear his head for a bit. As he approached the range, he realized that someone else was already there. He landed quietly at the edge of the range landing and edged behind the corner to watch for a moment. He watched as the figure crouched for a moment, then gasped when he saw the beginnings of his own gale technique manifest. At his gasp, the gathered wind dispersed, and there was suddenly an arrow embedded in the wood next to his head. He was distracted by the arrow when a female voice called lowly. "Who's there?" He stepped out of the shadow, causing the figure to gasp. "Revali?"

He finally was able to fully see the figure in the dark. His eyes widened. "Inala?"

She frowned, her voice turning cold and sarcastic. "Oh, so the Great Revali actually remembers my name. I feel so honored."

He frowned back at her tone. "What is THAT supposed to mean?"

Her gaze flattened. "Seriously? You were horrible to me the last time we trained together, and then after a week of not seeing you, you gave a half-assed apology that you did not mean. And then over the last couple years, you haven't tried even once to speak to me, let alone offer any real kind of apology. And after we were so close before that, too. What else would I mean?"

His eyes widened. He couldn't deny that he HAD treated her terribly. But then he frowned again. "Well, it's not like you have tried to talk to me in that time, either." He gestured around them. "Besides, I thought you had given up training?"

She rounded on him then. "Are you daft? Do you have any idea how busy I've been? Since I was no longer able to train during the day with you and Taslo, I was forced to spend time learning stupid girly things. Then I would train at night where I wouldn't 'be a bother' to you. Taslo would come out to give me a hand from time to time, but after that week of one-on-one I had with him when you were such an ass, I have done nothing but train on my own. So, excuse me for being a bit too busy to seek you out myself. What's more, I did nothing wrong, so it shouldn't have been up to me to seek you out in the first place." She huffed as she finished, turning and leaping off the landing into the range, letting the wind catch her as she circled the range.

Much to Revali's surprise, she flipped with nearly as much grace as he would have done and let loose a series of arrows in such short succession, that even he nearly had trouble following them. Each arrow hit the center mark as she flipped her bow back into position and let the wind carry her back to the landing. He watched her return, slack-beaked. At her raised brow, he snapped his beak closed and finally came up with some acceptable words. "Certainly, I am impressed. And I am intrigued by what I saw earlier. It seems you are trying to re-create my gale." He paused for a moment. "Perhaps you would join me tomorrow for training. I would like to better examine what you are doing with that."

Both of Ina's brows rose at the invitation. She realized, however that he had yet to offer an apology. She spoke slowly, choosing her words carefully. "I would accept, on one condition." She turned to tidy up the small mess on the landing of the range, specifically, she went to remove the arrow she had lodged in the frame on Revali's intrusion.

Finally, his curiosity got the better of him and he asked her. "And what is your condition?"

She turned to him. "I would like a proper apology, Revali. If you can manage that, then I would be happy to train with you once more." With that, she left the range to head back to the village.

The next morning brought quite a surprise for Ina. She had barely stepped outside, when her path was blocked by Revali. Her brow rose in expectation. He looked around before speaking lowly. "I have something I would like to say to you, but I would prefer if we were....ah....a bit more isolated?" His voice rose in a slight question, and Ina was surprised at the uncertainty in his voice.

She nodded. "I know the perfect place. Follow me." She knew that there would be a handful of warriors at the flight range this early in the morning, so she headed for the nearest landing before taking off to head for her pond to the south. Neither of them noticed when Taslo took off to follow them, after he saw them head off together. He hadn't known that they had started speaking to each other again, and was curious.

Ina landed gracefully at the edge of the pond. She turned as Revali landed beside her and looked at him expectantly. He cleared his throat. Neither heard as Taslo landed, silently in a nearby tree. Revali avoided Ina's gaze for a moment before shifting to face her. "I apologize for my previous behavior. It was juvenile and unworthy of me to have behaved in such a manner. I misjudged you because of a common difficulty, and it damaged our friendship." He inclined his head toward her as he apologized, so he missed the way her eyes widened, and her beak dropping in surprise. At her delayed response, he glanced up, only to be shocked by the tears he saw forming in her eyes. He took a step closer. "Inala?"

At her name on his beak, she shook herself. "That was....more than I could have asked for." She sniffed lightly, embarrassed by her emotional response. "I...I accept your apology. Thank you, Vali."

He snorted. "I haven't heard that nickname in years, Ina."

She coughed out a laugh. "Well I think you should get used to it." She closed the remaining gap between them, leaning against his shoulder lightly. "I missed you, Vali."

Revali felt his face heat up a bit at their proximity, but managed to fold his wing around her shoulders. "I guess I didn't realize it until now, but I missed you too, Ina."

She glanced over at him. "Just one more thing, okay?" At his raised brow, she laughed. "Stuff the ego around me. After all, I remember a hatchling who could never get himself out of bed on his own or on time."

He sighed, voice low. "For you, I suppose I can do that." Before he could stop himself, he turned slightly, and rubbed his beak against Ina's lightly. His eyes widened as he realized what he had done, and Ina gasped, eyes widening with her own surprise.

At that, they heard a low chuckle. They pulled away from each other like they had been burned, both reaching on instinct for their bows. They hesitated when Taslo eased to the ground several feet away. He nodded in satisfaction as he spoke. "Well it's about damned time you two settled things. Here I thought I was going to be old and gray before you two would speak to each other again."

Ina was the first to find her voice again. "Taslo. What are....? How did....?"

He held up a wing to pacify her. "Well, this morning I saw a most curious sight. My two proteges, who haven't spoken to each other in years, were heading to your secret pond. Together. I wanted to make sure that neither of you murdered the other, so I followed. I'm pleased to see that my concern was unwarranted. And with that, I can leave. Have fun!" He crowed out, laughing as he turned and left. Both Ina and Revali stood there in shocked silence. Both could feel their faces burning up from Taslo's insinuations.

This time, Revali recovered first. He cleared his throat. "Well. That was....something." He looked back to Ina. "Perhaps we should focus on why else we came out here." He paused for a moment as Ina shook herself to recover, straightening to attention as he continued. "Last night, it looked like you were trying to recreate my gale technique. I only caught a portion of it though, so, perhaps you could show me what you have so far?"

Ina raised a brow. "I thought you hadn't quite perfected it yet?"

He coughed into his wing. "Er, yes, well, it is nearly complete. I only need to adjust it a bit."

Smiling, Ina stepped a few feet away from him. "I'm just teasing." With that, she closed her eyes, standing straight, before crouching, wings outstretched toward the ground. She shifted her feathers, and felt the wind gather around her. Revali's eyes narrowed as the wind began to circle her. It was certainly much less than he gathered, but it was still a surprise at the amount she had already learned. The wind circling around her was probably only her height once she would stand, but she flicked her wings, and pushed herself up on the wind she had created. Far too quickly, she was back on the ground, facing him, waiting for his assessment.

"Impressive. How did you figure out what it was that I was doing?"

She looked away. "I watched you." She spoke quietly, embarrassed. "There were so many days that I had to wait until you had left the range, and so I watched you until you finished. I was curious when you started developing it. And when you finally started to produce the wind, it took me quite some time before I began to understand just how you had managed it." Finally, she met his eyes again. "Obviously I can barely manage it right now, but I think with time, I can increase the size. I may never match your own gale, but I am going to try."

He simply nodded. "Well, I have learned the hard way not to underestimate you. So, perhaps we may continue to train together? Like old times?"

She nodded. "I would like that, Vali."

He stepped closer. "I want to try something. To see if it will help you get the feel of what you are striving for." He stepped behind her, his beak riding just over her shoulder. She stiffened for a moment before he breathed behind her. "Try to relax. I'm going to go through the motion and gather the gale, but instead of releasing it like I normally would, I will hold it. I want you to feel it, feel everything I do." She released a breath, forcing her muscles to relax. "Good." He breathed in her ear once more. "Now. Begin." As one, they closed their eyes, and crouched to the ground, wings stretched to the ground as before. As one, they shifted their feathers. Revali gathered his gale around them, causing Ina to gasp at the amount of power behind it, before she regained her center, focusing on how it felt, and minute adjustments that Revali was continually making behind her to control the force of the wind around them. "Do you feel it?" He practically growled with the strain of maintaining the wind for so long. At her voice of assent, he let out a sigh as he released the wind around them, letting the strain drop from his wings.

He stepped back from her slowly and gestured for her to try again. This time, when she repeated the actions, she was able to pull in more power to increase the wind around her. It still paled in comparison to what Revali had shown her, but it was at least an improvement. She was panting a bit after the attempt. Revali nodded. "Better, but we have a long way to go. Shall we head to the flight range?" She nodded, and they both flew off, to continue their other training.

True to their agreement, Ina and Revali continued to train together. With Revali's help, Ina made decent progress in reproducing Revali's Gale over the next month. They were several months into their shared training when Ina was confronted one day. Several of the younger females in the village liked to chase after Revali. Generally, Ina ignored them, though they did irritate her. One afternoon after she had finished training with Revali, she headed back to the village before him. As soon as she hit the landing, she was surrounded by the loudest of Revali's 'fan club'.

"Just what do you think you're doing, spending so much time with our Revali?" The first started as they circled her.

Ina simply raised a brow, bored with their games. "Your Revali? Well, I'm sure he'll be interested to hear that he is so suddenly taken."

They didn't catch the meaning of her barb and continued. "Yeah! Revali is ours!" The second spoke up.

The third continued. "He shouldn't be wasting his time with the likes of you!"

That caused Ina's eyes to narrow. "The likes of me? What exactly does that mean?" Her voice lowered dangerously.

"A useless female. A wannabe warrior, with no womanly skills to back up her failure as a soldier."

Ina's blood boiled with fury at the insult. She drew herself up and opened her beak to tear into the group when Revali's voice sounded behind her, thick with contempt. "I dare say that the only useless ones I see here are you three." He snapped as he hit the landing. "Ina is a fierce warrior. She is second only to me. She would hardly be considered a failure." His voice dropped lower. "If I should happen to prefer Ina's company to that of you squabbling hens, then that is my business, not yours. Now leave." He practically hissed the last words.

As the trio scurried away from the landing, Ina huffed. "I could have handled that, you know."

Revali merely touched her shoulder and growled. "Come on." As he stalked through the village to his hut. Ina followed, unsure why he wanted her to follow. She was, however, sure that he was still furious as he was fairly rigid as he moved, unlike his usual grace. When they arrived at his hut, he immediately went to draw the curtain, as she hesitated in the doorway before slowly stepping inside. Once the doorway was closed, he finally relaxed with a sigh. His voice was weary as he finally spoke. "I apologize for my behavior, but there are clearly those with nothing better to do with their time than gossip, and I would rather that our...personal interactions...be our own business." He met her eyes. "Those foolish hens had no business speaking to you like that."

She put a wing on his shoulder. "I honestly wasn't bothered by their clucking, Vali. At least not until that last bit." She withdrew her touch and looked away. "Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if more of the village doesn't think the same way. Since for a couple years, most of my training has been at night, alone. You and Taslo are the only ones who really know where my skills rest."

He gently pulled her face back toward him. "Then perhaps we should show them? If it would make you feel better? I could speak to Taslo about arranging a contest of some kind, for all the warriors. To show that you are nearly my equal. That would silence any who doubt you."

"You would do that for me?" She asked, quietly.

"For you? Anything." He whispered, gently tilting his beak to rub against hers. Slowly, she returned the gesture, sighing into his touch as he wrapped his wings around her in a soft embrace. "Stay." He muttered as she slowly started to pull away.

"But the gossip..."

"Will be around regardless. It will die down once they have seen your skill." He tightened his hold on her. "I just don't want to let go."

She sighed, relaxing back into his embrace. "Fine, you win."

The next day, as promised, Revali tracked down Taslo. He told him what had happened the previous day, and his and Ina's suspicions about the feelings of the rest of the village. Taslo agreed with the idea for a contest. He told Revali that he would take it to the elders, and that he would make the arrangements. A week later, the contest took place. All of the warriors in the village participated. Many grumbled initially at Ina's participation, but as each round progressed and she was easily in the top of each round with Revali, the grumbles lessened, until they all but died out. The first round started with the ground range. Any who missed a bullseye was out. Perhaps a quarter of the field was eliminated in that first round, even if they only barely missed a bullseye. The second and third rounds took to the air. The second round had similar restrictions, but in the air, they had to hit a single bullseye from the sky. Those who missed, were out. The third round was more difficult, as they had to hit a series of three bullseyes from the air. After the third round, only about a quarter of the initial field remained. Next, the warriors were paired off for a hand to hand trial. It was rare for a Rito to fight on the ground, but they trained to be able to if they were ever wounded and unable to fly. Finally, the remaining warriors were given a timed trial similar to the third round. Only this time, there were a series of five targets distributed around the range, that required two components. First, they would need to hit bullseyes on every target. And second, they would be competing with each other for the fastest time.

The order was drawn, and Ina was in the middle, while Revali would be going last. They watched the first few warriors together, quietly noting each change in the drafts of the flight range, based on the other warriors movements. When Ina's turn came, she readied herself on the landing, eyes closed, feeling the wind around her. As soon as the bell sounded, she leapt off of the landing, letting the wind from the range lift her high into the sky, she avoided the cross winds, and flew toward the first few targets. As soon as she was in range, she flipped her bow into her wings, and felt gravity start to pull her down. She fired off three shots in quick succession, flipping her bow back into position and catching the updraft, heading for the next targets before the third arrow hit its mark. The final two targets were difficult, as one was on the center pillar, and the other was opposite it on the outer wall. She readied her bow and quickly let off the first shot. She then pulled her wing with the bow close to her as she let the wind catch her other wing, to spin her around, as she fired her last shot. As soon as she released it, her bow was back in position, and she was heading back to the landing. Her time was nearly a full minute less than those that had come before her. Smirking as the judges confirmed that every hit was a bullseye, she rejoined Revali to watch the next few warriors before it was finally Revali's turn. Neither of them were surprised when her time was still the one for Revali to beat.

Revali shot Ina a smirk as he stood in position on the landing. As soon as the bell rang, he was off, taking the same path that Ina had. He knew the only way he could beat her time was to hit the first three targets at the same time, so instead of drawing a single arrow as he approached the first three targets, he drew three, spacing them along the bow to correspond with the distances the targets were set apart. He flipped his bow to the side and released. Heading for the last targets before his first arrows hit home. For the final targets, he had to pull a similar maneuver to what Ina had done. When he hit the landing, his time came in about ten seconds faster than Ina's. He smirked at her again, and she rolled her eyes in response to his antics.

In the weeks following the contest, there was far less gossip about Ina. What they did hear, was speculation about their developing relationship. When they weren't training, they were usually at Ina's pond, as it was the only place they could truly be alone. In their time alone, they had taken to resting their heads in each other’s lap. Revali had a habit of undoing Ina's braids and combing his feathers through her unbraided feathers. She would sigh with contentment whenever he did this, and he couldn't deny the warm feeling that worked its way through his chest whenever this happened. Ina had her own warm feelings that she was working through as well.

It was nearly a month following the contest when Princess Zelda came for the first time. Ina was actually out of the village, hunting with Taslo when she came. Revali would have gone with her, but it had been requested that he remain in, or very close to the village. In frustration, he spent most of his time at the flight range, trying to make the last adjustment that would perfect his gale. He was muttering to himself after his most recent failed attempt when he realized someone was there. He turned his sharpened gaze to see the Princess of Hyrule watching him. "You know, your highness, it is rude to eavesdrop." He straightened himself.

"My apologies. I went to the village, and I was told I would find you here."

He had heard the rumors from the elders, that the Princess was seeking out the best of each of the races for a great cause. He had heard the stories about the Calamity. It was obvious why she was here now. "You have need of me. To defeat Calamity Ganon." At her nod, he continued. "To slay the beast, once and for all...It will be my great pleasure."

"Thank you, Revali. If we work together, I'm certain we'll be able to defeat..."

"However!" He interrupted her, releasing his gale and launching himself into the sky. He started to lose control again, but shifted his wing and spiraled to the top of the cyclone. From there, he went through the range, destroying every target with bomb arrows before landing on the railing of the landing. "I know I play the biggest part in helping that, ahem, that little knight with the darkness-sealing sword. Correct? Well, if he loses his confidence after seeing me in action, don't come crying to me."

She proceeded to explain to him that they had found records of machines called Divine Beasts. They had up to that point found the one in the Gerudo desert, and the one in Zora's Domain. She was certain that they would find another near their village. She said that once they found and activated it, that Revali would need to learn how to interface with the machine and pilot it. She went on for nearly an hour about it, before she was beginning to shiver through her cold weather gear. Snorting, Revali insisted that she return to the village and warm up. Since she had knights with her, he took to the sky to circle lazily until they returned to the village. There, she had a cloth for him, that would mark him as one of the Champions chosen to defeat the Calamity. It was long enough, that he was able to wear it as a scarf, the bright blue not quite daring to clash with his darker blue feathers. Once the Princess was settled, he excused himself and returned to his hut. He paced for a bit, knowing that Ina was supposed to be returning later that day, before he finally gave up with a sigh and settling down to see to his bow.

It was a few hours later when Ina finally returned. When she stepped inside, she blinked at the flash of blue around Revali's neck. "What is that?"

He stood, quickly wrapping her in his wings, before releasing her and rubbing his beak against hers. "This, is the mark of the Princess' chosen Champions." He proceeded to regale her with his encounter with the Princess, and her....enthusiasm… over the machines that she had spoken of.

"Revali. This Divine Beast the Princess spoke of. Did she happen to mention what she suspected it would look like?"

He frowned. "Not specifically, though I would imagine it would have some kind of bird form here, based on what she told me of the two they had already found. Why?"

She frowned. "Because I think Taslo and I may have stumbled across it while we were hunting."

His eyes widened. "Are you serious?" She nodded. "Well, I suppose that will make the Princess' day. We can tell her later, since she isn't leaving for several days still." Her frown didn't lessen. "Ina, are you alright?"

She met his eyes. "You know I'm going with you, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"When you are piloting the Divine Beast."

He snorted. "Don't be ridiculous."

She deadpanned. "I'm completely serious. I have a bad feeling, Vali. If something happens when you are up there, and you're alone..." She trailed off and shook her head. "Listen. I promise I won't get in your way. And if nothing happens, then there is no harm. But I would rather be there and have you not need me, than have you be alone, and need me when I am not there." At his frown she continued. "I don't doubt you. I never have, and I never will. But even you could need some back up." She curled up in his arms. "Let me have this." She sighed.

Finally, he sighed. "Fine. You win."

The next day, Ina presented herself to the Princess to tell her about what she and Taslo had found on their hunting trip. The Princess was so excited that she insisted that they depart immediately. Revali accompanied them this time, and sure enough, what Ina had stumbled on was, in fact, Divine Beast Vah Medoh. It took the Princess a few days to be able to get Medoh activated, but by the time they were finished, Ina was heading back to the village to warn them about Medoh's arrival to reduce the panic that would have otherwise developed. Once Revali managed to get Medoh back to the village, he was able to set it to circle the village.

Over the next several months, the Princess found the last of the Divine beasts. She had visited each of them several times to help fine tune them. During that time, Revali had been forced to leave the village a handful of times for various reasons that stemmed from his status as Champion. Ina was surly during the times he would be gone, and would proceed to give Revali a very warm welcome when he would return. On one such occasion, she stole him away to their pond as soon as he had set foot back in the village. Once there, she flushed viciously. She turned to face him, setting her bow down carefully. The look she gave him, set off his own furious blush. She stepped close to him, rubbing her beak against his. As she did, her feathers reached for the clasp of his chest plate. His own feathers reached up to stop her. At the fear of rejection, tears started to gather in her eyes. Revali made her meet his own eyes. His voice was low, husky when he spoke. "Ina, are you sure?"

She met his eyes before rubbing her beak against his again. "I'm sure, Vali."

With that, he allowed her to continue, while he set his attention on her own armor. It was a matter of moments before they were ready to continue. They came together many times that day, and neither was in any shape to head back to the village that night, as they fell into slumber in each other’s wings. Taslo found them the next morning, and after much blushing and embarrassment on all sides, they made sure they headed for Medoh before they spent that kind of time together in the future, as only Revali could access Medoh, which meant that anyone else had to be with him when he would enter Medoh.

It was around the Princess' seventeenth birthday that it happened. She had set off for the Spring of Wisdom on Mount Lanayru. The Champions were all accompanying her. Ina, as usual for such an event, had stayed in the village. It was nearing the end of the day, when the ground shook fiercely. She launched into the sky to see a curling mass of red and black in the distance, near where Hyrule Castle would be located. She gasped as she saw four masses of red and black split off from the main mass and head in four different directions. As one of the masses shot in her direction, she dove for the ground, and spun, gasping as the mass hit Medoh. Its soothing blue light distorting and flickering to the same sinister red color. She landed, hard, and remained on the landing, watching for Revali's return. She assumed that the other masses of red and black had hit the other Divine Beasts, and felt a shiver work up her spine. Finally, she saw Revali, and she launched off of the landing to meet him as he flew for Medoh.

"Revali! Did you see the masses break off from the mass swirling around Hyrule Castle?" At his nod, she swallowed. "One of them hit Medoh. Ever since then, it’s been flickering between its normal blue and that ominous red."

His voice was strained. "Ina, go back to the village. The situation has changed, and I think you should go while you can."

"Yes, the situation has changed. And it is worse than what we are expecting. I am NOT leaving you. And that is final."

He simply sighed as they continued up to Medoh. It took a couple tries for Revali to be able to access Medoh. Once they were inside, there were a couple of areas that were nearly blocked off with black goo. "What IS that?" Ina practically growled.

"Malice." Revali spat. "Ganon's influence, no doubt." As they continued through Medoh, its internal Guardian scouts were active, and the same eerie red color. As soon as they spotted Ina and Revali, they attacked. A few direct hits from each of them, and each scout deactivated. Once they were in the center of Medoh, they both used the wind turbine to ascent to Medoh's top level. Both of them narrowed their eyes when they saw the color of the control terminal. The same red color covered the surface. "Ina, hang back." She nodded, as she drew her bow, as ready as she could be for anything to go wrong. Revali approached the control terminal slowly. As soon as he went to activate it, it pulsed red, and the same red and black material shot out from the control terminal. Cursing, Revali leapt back, his own bow drawn. It manifested into a massive creature, with what looked like a massive version of the similar type of weapon that the guardians had on one arm. It screamed at them, before launching a pair of tornado's at them.

They both leapt to the side. Ina felt the pull from one of the tornado's and her eyes widened. "Vali, watch those tornado's. Their pull is stronger than your gale!" She called, taking aim and firing the first of her bomb arrows. It hit the creature square in the chest, but it was barely fazed. The creature dissolved into a mass of energy and moved to a different location. Before either could target it fully, it shot several blasts at them, which they barely avoided. It launched another pair of tornado's at them before relocating again. She met Revali as they both ducked behind the control terminal to avoid the next blasts.

"We need to split its focus. The one it isn't aiming for needs to shoot it."

Ina gasped for air. "I already connected with a bomb arrow. It barely fazed it."

Revali frowned. "Aim for the eye. It might be our only shot." She nodded as they split apart when the creature moved to the side of the control terminal that they were on. Ina caught one of Medoh's updrafts and launched into the air, taking aim with a pair of bomb arrows, releasing them in quick succession to hit its eye. The creature screamed and quickly moved again. Thinking they had found a rhythm, they continued to split the attacks on the creature, but both Ina and Revali were tiring quickly. The fight was dragging on longer than either was really prepared for, when finally, the creature let out a massive scream, louder than any others before. It released several smaller bodies that were moving too fast for either of them to hit. The next time the creature moved, the bodies opened up as it fired a dozen blasts. They bounced between all of the smaller bodies before coming for her in a random pattern. She managed to dodge the first few, but then one of the blasts hit her midway down her left wing. She screamed as she rolled to the ground. She climbed to her feet and was at least relieved when she could still hold her bow, but she knew she wouldn't be able to fly anymore.

She felt fear creep down her spine. She could feel Revali's worried glance, but she kept her gaze focused on the creature. She readied her last bomb arrow. Her eyes widened when she realized it was her last arrow. She figured Revali had to be running low too, with as long as they had been fighting. In that moment, her breath caught. She realized they were both going to die up there, atop Vah Medoh, and that there was nothing she could do to stop it. She wondered if Revali had realized it yet.

Revali reached for his next arrow. He knew he was getting low. He worried for Ina. The wound on her left wing would slow her down, since she wouldn't be able to fly any longer. When he glanced over to her, and saw that she had her next arrow drawn, his breath caught when he saw that her quiver was empty. The only reason they had lasted as long as they had was because there had been two of them up here fighting this monster. His eyes widened with the realization that they were both going to die. All of this happened in the moment before the creature moved once more. He quickly figured that if the creature had any kind of intelligence, that it would move to finish Ina, since she was wounded. He positioned himself to launch his next attack. As soon as the creature settled, both he and Ina let loose their next arrows, one after the other. The creature fired a pair of blasts that bounced around before landing. The first blast hit Ina square on, sending her flying into the control terminal. Her bow went flying from her wing. Revali was too close this time, and the second blast winged him. "Ina!" He screamed as he ran for her. He slid down next to her and cradled her in his wings. Her breaths were shallow and pained. She was covered in her own blood and had some dribbling down from the corner of her beak.

Her voice was weak, and she was barely able to open her eyes. "Vali...."

His voice was panicked. "Shhh. Stay with me."

"Vali...love....you..."

Tears filled his eyes. "I love you too, Ina. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let you come up here to die with me."

She huffed a weak chuckle before going limp in his arms. He set her down as gently as he could before drawing his bow one last time. He grabbed his last two arrows and readied himself for his last stand. His only hope was that he would get lucky, and the creature would be finished with his final two arrows, but he doubted that it would be the case, based on how long it had taken to get the creature to this point. He could only imagine that it would take the same amount of time to finish it. Time, and arrows, which he no longer had. At the creatures next move, he got off both of his arrows in time for him to dodge most of the next attack. Again, the last blast winged him. Even if he had any arrows left, he wouldn't have been able to draw his bow. He glared at the creature when it fired once more. As his consciousness left him, the last word on his beak was a whisper. "Ina."

In the village below, Taslo watched Vah Medoh with bated breath. He was concerned by the way the color was slowly changed from blue to red, and by the way that it still continued to circle the village. He knew that Inala had gone with Revali up to the Divine Beast. He was worried for them. Something was wrong, he could feel it in his bones. When a monstrous scream echoed from Vah Medoh, he knew. He knew that his beloved students weren't coming home. For the first time since he was a hatchling, Taslo cried.

Revali woke to the strangest feeling. He felt lighter than air, which was not normal. As his eyes shot open, he was confused. He knew that he had been hit in the last attack. He rolled to his feet, and when he did, he realized why he felt so strange. He held his wings up in front of him. The green glow, and the glowing sprites surrounding him led him to sigh. "Great. Not only did we fail, horribly, but now I'm stuck as a spirit." With that, his head snapped around. "Ina?" He sighed when he appeared to be alone. He explored Medoh fully and didn't find her. He was unable to venture outside of Medoh, though he could still tell what was happening up by the control terminal. It seemed that the Malice had taken full control of Medoh. While it wasn't directly attacking the village, it would attack any Rito that came even remotely close to its altitude. Sighing at his helplessness, he settled in to wait for whatever would come.

Ina woke to a similar feeling. As she shot up, and looked around, she came to the same realization that Revali had about her...condition. She realized she was the one place she felt most comfortable in the world, her pond. She looked up to where Medoh was still circling, and saw that its color had finished changing from blue to red. It was still circling the village, but ignoring it, unless any Rito attempted to approach its altitude, then it would attack the individuals. Sighing, she left her pond and made for Medoh. She had to see if Revali was there, like she was. When she got to Medoh, she couldn't enter. She couldn't make for the top of it where the control terminal sat, nothing. She couldn't tell if Revali was there. She screamed in frustration before returning to her pond. Several days later, she could feel someone approaching her pond. She had figured out how to make her new form invisible, so she disappeared from view as the figure emerged in the clearing around the pond. Her eyes widened when she saw Taslo. He looked terrible, like he hadn't slept in days. He carried a small bouquet of wildflowers as he stopped before the pond.

He knelt by the pond, placing the flowers gently to the side. He sighed roughly before he spoke. "I don't know if you can hear me or not, but I supposed it can't hurt. I know you and Revali are gone, Ina. I don't know what happened up there on the Divine Beast, but I felt it in my bones that you died." He let out another shaky sigh. "It took me a long time, but you became like the little sister, or hell, even like the daughter I never had. You and Revali both made me so proud, and I was so happy when you both found happiness in each other." She saw a few tears slide down his beak, and she was about to show herself when he continued. "I hope that wherever you are now, that you are at peace." He slowly stood, clearing his throat. "I'll miss you."

Once he had departed the pond, she allowed her new form to reappear. She slowly reached down for the flowers he had left behind and was surprised when she was able to touch them. She looked back toward the village, and the first tears made themselves known. She sniffled once, before the sobs began.

Over the next 100 years, very little truly changed. Medoh continued to circle the village, restricting the Rito's flight. Many abandoned the village for other parts of Hyrule, where they could fly more freely. Ina spent most of her time at her pond. For the first few years after her death, Taslo would continue to visit from time to time, but then even he stopped coming, and her pond was isolated and alone. Occasionally, she would drift to the village to see how things changed. She watched as those she knew passed on, and new Rito took their places. Every day she would stare at Medoh, knowing that Revali was still inside, hoping that someday she would see him once more. Her routine became mindless, and it remained that way for 100 long years. Until one day, explosions around Medoh drew her attention. It seemed that there was a Rito foolish enough to be drawing Medoh's fire. It wasn't until she saw that there was some other strange shape near Medoh that she drew some form of hope. She ventured close to Medoh for the first time in ages, to see a Hylian on Medoh's entrance platform. She tried to follow him inside, but was once more denied access to Medoh. She had come to suspect over time, that Ganon's influence over Medoh had rejected her spirit, preventing her from entering. She circled Medoh, watching, waiting for anything to happen, worrying about the Hylian who had so recklessly entered Medoh. She had thought he looked familiar. She almost thought that he resembled the knight who wielded the sword that sealed the darkness.

As she watched, and worried, she was surprised to see Medoh shift positions several times. Its body moving as if it was being controlled from the inside. She hadn't seen Medoh do that since Revali had mastered piloting Medoh. She flew as close as she could to the top of Medoh, watching as the Hylian approached the main control terminal. She couldn't influence anything from as far away as she still was, but she shook with several emotions when the monster that had killed her and Revali all those years ago, appeared once more. She watched with bated breath as the Hylian fought the monster, and finally, after several close calls, managed to defeat it. As the creature screamed, and finally, disappeared. She nearly cried as Medoh returned to its once familiar blue. She maintained her distance as she watched the Hylian. She finally did cry when she finally saw him. Revali. He appeared before the Hylian, and she watched as he gave the Hylian something, and then the Hylian disappeared. Medoh then finally, after 100 years, moved into position, landing atop the perch high above the Rito village, and took aim toward Hyrule Castle.

Finally, she drew courage to attempt it once more. She slowly flew to the top of Medoh, where she could see Revali's spirit standing. For the first time in 100 years, she was able to land behind him. He spoke before turning to face her, hearing her landing. "Who has the audacity to venture here, where none belong?" Slowly he turned, and as he saw her, his eyes widened as he gasped her name. "Ina?"

She slowly stepped closer to him, tears welling in her eyes. "Revali." She stopped just before him. "I tried so many times to find you. I knew you were here, but Ganon's influence kept me from entering Medoh."

Slowly, unsure, he reached out a wing to her, eyes widening a bit again as he was able to actually touch her. He stepped closer, rubbing his beak against hers, closing his eyes as he pulled her into an embrace. "I couldn't leave, no matter what I tried."

She let out a sob. "I've missed you so much, Vali."

His voice was the gentlest she had ever heard. "Shhh. I know. I feel the same. Nothing will separate us now. Not ever again."


End file.
